◆ Black-haired Sage Chiyuki
Ellios' large tree sea extends to the foothills of Mount Ellios, the tallest in the world.
The tree sea is nearly a third of the vast Bandor plain where we live.
We must find the land of the elves in this vast forest.
Four of us are outside the tree sea.
It's only been a day since Kouki was taken away by Elves.
I was able to get to the Tree Sea so quickly because I had set a destination in a nearby country that might have gone to Ellios.
With the magic of transition, we reach the Tree Sea in less than an hour.
But that seems to be the same for the elves.
"Hey, Chiyuki? Did you see that?"
Sirone on the side asks me.
"Yes, I see it. Looks like the elves passed through here."
I confirm that the elves passed through this place by the magic of the past vision.
Looks like they left Eldo right away.
It does not use magic that inhibits vision or detection in the past.
I don't know if I'm licking it, if I'm not so distracted, or if I can't use it.
But this will allow us to track them.
"Now, let's go after him. Mr. Nao, do you think we can follow Kellunaia's path?
I ask Nao in front of me.
"It's okay. The smell of the deer hasn't disappeared. I'll be able to follow you."
Nao laughs.
Nao now has a beast ear from his head and a tail from his buttocks.
Nao's sense of smell in the form of a beast is awkward. I remember the smell of keruna that I smelled once. Looks like we can track them now.
"But where in the woods is the country of the elves? I wish it were far away."
Lino looks at the forest and frowns.
I'm sure Reno is right. The forest is wide. We don't always get there in a day.
If you are bad, you will have to stay in the wilderness.
I also thought about flying in the sky, but the sky seems to have some kind of boundary, so I don't think I can use the magic of flying anymore.
That's why we have to go into the woods.
Prepare yourself to move forward.
"But I have to go. There's no turning back when we get here."
When you enter the forest, the trees are high. Wood leakage days are plugging in from the green ceiling.
With Nao at the forefront, we move quickly.
I don't want to do as much as I can.
The way forward is slightly open to allow Kellunaia's deer car to pass.
I don't think I'll get lost with this.
"Wow, I feel the power of the spirits of wind and earth."
Reno looked around and shouted.
There are spirits everywhere in this world.
Those with a certain talent can feel its existence.
Lino's ability to use Spirits is high. It would be amazing to say that Reno is so surprised.
Incidentally, I was surprised that there were many dark spirits in Nargor.
I wonder if spirits vary from region to region.
And I hear that the creatures that inhabit different kinds of spirits.
I hear there are a lot of elves in this forest, but what else is alive?
Nao stopped thinking about that.
That face is steep. Something's wrong.
"What's wrong? Nao-san?"
"I can feel my gaze. Chiyuki."
"The gaze? Is someone watching us?
"I guess so... But I don't know where I'm looking."
"Yes... Someone's watching us from afar."
Nao's sensing range is wide.
I'm guessing it's out of that sensing range.
Are you looking at it by some magical means?
If so, my magic might be able to detect it backwards.
"No, this is different... I can feel my gaze from nearby. Looks like he's watching it from close by...."
"Eh!? Really!? Mr. Nao, do you know where he is?
"I don't know..."
"" Ha!?
Nao's words cut me off, Shirone and Reno.
Nao's detection capabilities are high. It is difficult to hide from anyone with the ability to hide, if you are nearby.
I don't know that Nao. That means we're in a very dangerous situation.
If that's what they want, they can ambush anytime.
"Mr. Shirone. What about you? Do you feel anything?
Among them, Shirone has the second highest sensing ability after Nao.
Especially the ability to sense enemies is comparable to Nao.
"Hmm, I don't feel anything... But I can't find Nao-chan. Maybe he's hiding hostility."
Shirone looks around anxiously.
At that time, I felt like the forest was roaring.
The branches of the trees move and the leaves of the trees are scattered. Looks like someone's really here.
"I can't... I can't find the guy in hiding."
Nao stretches his nails from his fingertips.
It's a special ability due to the beast of Nao.
Melee fights are easier with claws than Boomerang.
The nails stretched like a dagger are sharp and cut easily.
Shirone also puts his hand on the handle of the sword so that it can be pulled out at any time.
"Wait! Everybody, calm down! Don't be a fighter!
Reno speaks.
Me, Shirone and Nao look at Lino.
Reno is meditating, holding hands, and listening.
"I just realized that I was looking at the trees in the woods. It's like the trees were on guard because our minds were rough."
I bowed my neck to Lino's words.
What do you mean the trees are watching?
But it looks like Reno knows who's watching us.
She has a narrower range of sensing than Nao, but is more capable than Nao when it comes to sensing spirits, emotions, etc.
It seems that his abilities have revealed who he is.
"Hey, why were you watching Lino and the others? Why are you so anxious? Lino and I are not going to hurt you. Please come and tell me."
Feel the magic waves coming from Lino's body.
Peaceful magic. This magic can calm the opponent's mind and bring them to the conversation table.
However, it does not work against enemies from the beginning. At that time, I had to use Charm.
I suppose you decided that using the magic of peace was not your enemy.
When Reno uses magic, the tree in front of him suddenly moves.
It is as if they had the will.
Think so much and shake your head.
No, I suppose I do.
To take a closer look, the tree is human. Standing with two legs, both hands.
However, unlike ordinary people, leaves grow from all over their bodies.
The leaves of the tree didn't grow in one human form. Two, three, quite a few.
The hairless, leafy face has the same eyes as humans, staring at us.
Nao's gaze is like this one.
"I don't know how to find it... You've been in front of me since the beginning...
Nao scratches his head.
Perhaps he was sensing the presence. However, I thought it was the same as the normal trees, so I didn't think it was watching.
"Hey, Chiyuki. These people....."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Shirone. Definitely a green man."
Green Man is a tree that can talk with a human face.
It seems that some people are human, while others are human and not different from trees.
That's because I've never met the Green Man.
Maybe they've seen each other several times in the past, but they don't usually move like regular trees.
Therefore, even if you meet them, you won't notice. Since all of them have bearded leaves, it looks like a race with only men. But it doesn't seem to have any particular gender.
That's the information I got in the book about the Greenman.
However, as far as the book goes, they must be of a moderate race.
They should not be hostile unless they harm the woods.
Look at them like they're watching us, surround us. What does that mean?
I didn't burn the woods.
A green man (Green Man) comes forward.
Big, like a giant.
However, he has both hands and feet, but branches grow from various places. If I had stayed still, I would have looked at Oki by mistake.
Green Man has the same lifespan as a tree, and grows to grow up like a tree.
I hear that old green people who have lived for a long time (Elder Greenman) may become leaders of other green people (Greenman).
Perhaps he is the leader of the Green Man surrounding us.
"O ye who dwell in the plains! What does it look like in this forest? He doesn't seem to be one of those who wipe out the woods."
The old green man (Elder Greenman) bows down and talks to us.
"We are here to retrieve the child who was grabbed by the elves. Elves must have passed through here, could you tell me?
When I say so, the old green man (Elder Greenman) thinks about it.
"Sure did. Get in Kellunaia's car with the golden horn. Was there a little girl in there? Then you'll be worried."
The Old Greenman (Elder Greenman) seems to mistake the kook for one of our children.
However, I am not willing to take the trouble to correct it.
"Really? Thank you for telling me. So let's go."
That's what I'm going to do.
Wait, Mr. Chiyuki.
Reno will stop me.
"What's the matter, Mr. Reno?
"I need to ask you something."
That said, Reno sees the old green man (Elder Greenman).
"Hey, what did you just say about the one who's gonna wipe out the woods? Is that why the spirits in the woods are making noise?
Reno says the Green Man makes a scene.
I'm kind of surprised.
"Well, do you hear me living on the plains? The woods screamed. This is a surprise. Then I'll tell you. Something's going on in the woods right now."
Old Greenman (Elder Greenman) explains.
Recently, there have been some who have dried up the trees on the west side of this tree sea.
The damage extends to their compatriots in the west.
Green people (Green Man) who live in the same forest are sympathetic to the spirit, so the pain is transmitted.
For this reason, the Green Man, who lives in the Tree Sea, was on alert to visitors from outside.
We face each other.
"Looks like he came into the woods at a bad time."
"That's right... That's why they were watching us from outside. If Lino hadn't been here, it might have been a big deal."
Shirone was right. If he succeeded, he might have fought the Green Man.
We're stronger, but I don't want to fight if I can.
"Hey, who are the people who deplete the forest?
When Reno heard, the old green man (Elder Greenman) shook his head.
"I don't know. But they're strong and scary. Unless they are in heaven, they will never be rivals."
Heavenly beings are the gods and angels of Ellios.
If they are not enemies, they must be quite powerful.
It bothers me. But the green people don't know. I can't hear you any more.
"Thank you for telling me. If you meet such a guy, Lino and the others will drive you away."
Reno says the greenery looks happy.
"Well, thank you. Then I will teach you the secret wind path. Through the gaps in the trees and the path of the wind spirits, we should reach the fort of Katahov, where the elves live, by nightfall."
Old Greenman (Elder Greenman) points in a direction and feels the wind coming from it.
Looks like the wind has cleared the way.
"Thank you."
I bow my head to the Greenmen.
This will increase the movement speed.
Say thank you to Syrone, Nao, and Reno, and we'll be there later.
Farewell, inhabitants of the plains, may the Spirit of the Forest protect you.
The green people sing when the old green people (Elder Greenman) wave their hands.
It was precisely a poem of wind and trees.
"Whisper, whisper and the wind blows,
Blow with our voice,
The green wind dances with pleasure,
The Spirit of the Forest laughs.
We dance and we dance.
Shaking the leaves of the trees,
When the green wind was upon us,
The woodspirits echo in the forest ♪ "
While listening to such songs, we entered the path of the wind.